How Is CAM Different From Conventional Medicine?
Conventional medicine (also called “allopathic medicine”) is based on scientific knowledge of the body and uses treatments that have been proven effective through scientific research. Doctors are trained to have a thorough knowledge of the body’s systems, diseases, and their treatments. Complementary and alternative medicine is based on the belief that a medical care provider has to treat the whole person — body, mind, and spirit. The techniques used in CAM are mostly less invasive than conventional medical practices — meaning that they don’t rely on surgery or conventional medications. Some CAM therapies are supported by scientific evidence. But for many there are still questions that need to be addressed through scientific studies. This doesn’t mean these therapies don’t work, it just means that experts haven’t studied them enough to know for sure that they do — and if so, how.
